Haitian Station Radio Seven Stars to Carry VOA Creole Broadcasts

Radio Seven Stars' FM signal reaches audiences in the central part of Haiti

Washington, D.C., August 7, 2009 – Radio Seven Stars and Voice of America’s (VOA) Creole Service marked the beginning of an official affiliation during a ceremony in Haiti today. Radio Seven Stars, located in the city of Hinche, will rebroadcast VOA Creole Service’s news and programs on its FM signal reaching an audience in the central part of the country.

VOA Creole Service Chief Ronald Cesar joined U.S. Chargé de Affaires Thomas Tighe in Haiti to formalize the partnership and welcome Radio Seven Stars to the country’s network of 12 other stations that rebroadcast VOA programs.

“We are grateful to Radio Seven Stars for this agreement, and we are honored to be able to provide this new service to the people of Hinche,” Tighe said. While recognizing the fragile state of the press in some regions in Haiti, notably in Hinche, Tighe said: “Press freedom makes Haiti stronger and more stable by affording a legitimate and necessary space for Haitians to discuss and work on common problems."

Several officials and prominent city leaders also participated in the inauguration ceremony, including U.S. diplomats Mari D. Tolliver and Kathey-Lee Galvin from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.

Radio Seven Stars in Hinche joins the following VOA affiliates throughout the country of Haiti : Radio Lumière, Radio Tele Ginen and Canal 11 in Port-au-Prince; Radio New Star in Port de Paix ; Radio Dynamic FM in Saint-Marc, Radio La Voix de L’Estère in L’Estère ; Radio Independance in Gonaïves; RTMS in Les Cayes; Radio Venus in Cap-Haitien; Radio Tele Express Continental in Jacmel; Radio Tet Ansanm in Jeremie; and Radio Excelsior in Mirebalais.

The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S.Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 134 million people. Programs are produced in 45 languages.

For more information, please call VOA Public Relations at (202) 203-4959, or e-mail askvoa@voanews.com.